Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 53

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

ततो विस्मृतदुःखोऽसौ विष्णुस्ताभ्यां सहैव तु । वैकुंठमगमत्तुष्टस्सर्वदेवैर्नमस्कृतः । कार्तिके मासि विप्रेन्द्र धात्री च तुलसी सदा । सर्वदेवप्रियाज्ञेया विष्णोश्चैव विशेषतः

Transliteration

tato vismṛtaduḥkho'sau viṣṇustābhyāṃ sahaiva tu | vaikuṃṭhamagamattuṣṭassarvadevairnamaskṛtaḥ | kārtike māsi viprendra dhātrī ca tulasī sadā | sarvadevapriyājñeyā viṣṇoścaiva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ବିଷ୍ଣୁ ନିଜ ଦୁଃଖକୁ ଭୁଲି, ସେଇ ଦୁଇଜଣଙ୍କ ସହିତ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ହୋଇ, ସମସ୍ତ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନମସ୍କୃତ ହୋଇ ବୈକୁଣ୍ଠକୁ ଗଲେ। ହେ ବିପ୍ରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, କାର୍ତ୍ତିକ ମାସରେ ଧାତ୍ରୀ (ଆମଳକୀ) ଓ ତୁଳସୀ ସଦା ସମସ୍ତ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରିୟ—ବିଶେଷତଃ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କୁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରିୟ—ବୋଲି ଜାଣିବା ଉଚିତ। ଶୈବ ସିଦ୍ଧାନ୍ତ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ଏହା ମଧ୍ୟ ଦର୍ଶାଏ ଯେ ପରମ ପତି-ଇଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ବିଶ୍ୱବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥାରେ ଦେବମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶାନ୍ତି ଓ ପୁନରୁଦ୍ଧାର ପାଆନ୍ତି; କାର୍ତ୍ତିକ ବ୍ରତ ଓ ପବିତ୍ର ଉଦ୍ଭିଦଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଧର୍ମରେ ଭକ୍ତି-ପୁଣ୍ୟର ଆଧାର ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थक (then/thereafter)

• विस्मृत-दुःखः: having forgotten sorrow
• विस्मृत-दुःखः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मृत (स्मृ धातु + क्त) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विस्मृतं दुःखं येन सः’ (whose sorrow is forgotten)

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ताभ्याम्: with those two
• ताभ्याम्: Sahakāraka (सह/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakāraka (सह/सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• तु: but/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वैकुण्ठम्: Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu’s abode)
• वैकुण्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (तुष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP)

• सर्व-देवैः: by all the gods
• सर्व-देवैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वे देवाः’ (all the gods)

• नमस्कृतः: saluted
• नमस्कृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP)

• कार्तिके: in Kārttika (month)
• कार्तिके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विप्र-इन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्र-इन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः’ (chief of Brahmins)

• धात्री: Dhātrī (Āmalakī)
• धात्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• तुलसी: Tulasī
• तुलसी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्व-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• सर्व-देव-प्रिया: dear to all the gods
• सर्व-देव-प्रिया: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वेषां देवानां प्रिया’

• ज्ञेया: should be known (as)
• ज्ञेया: Vidhi (विधि/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत्/तव्यत् (प्रत्यय; gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive): ‘to be known/should be regarded’

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेष-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya; addressing a leading brāhmaṇa as 'viprendra')

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Kārtika-māsa observance is highlighted as a time when dhātrī (āmalakī) and tulasī become especially dear; while not a Jyotirliṅga episode, it functions like a vrata-māhātmya segment within the narrative.

Significance: Merit through Kārtika devotion and offering/association with dhātrī and tulasī; supports sāttvika bhakti and ritual purity.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Vaikuntha
• Dhātrī (Āmalakī)
• Tulasī
• Devas

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It highlights restoration through dharma: Viṣṇu’s grief is dispelled and he returns to his divine abode, while Kārtika is praised as a potent sacred time where offerings like Dhātrī and Tulasī amplify devotion and merit—showing that divine well-being is sustained within the cosmic order governed by the Supreme (Pati).

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Though the verse names Viṣṇu, the Shiva Purana’s frame presents all deities as functioning within Śiva’s overarching sovereignty; thus, honoring sacred observances (vrata-kāla) and pure offerings supports Saguna worship—including Liṅga-pūjā—by cultivating sattva, devotion, and alignment with dharma.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Observe Kārtika with devotional discipline: offer or venerate Tulasī and Dhātrī (Āmalakī) with purity and mantra-japa; as a Śaiva practice, pair this with Liṅga-arcana and Panchākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") for steadiness of mind and merit.